


Domestic Fury and Fierce Civil Strife

by JoJo7_7



Category: Julius Caesar - Shakespeare, Modern - Fandom
Genre: American Politics, Cassius being sneaky, Controversial, Democrats vs Republicans, Ides special, Insurrection, M/M, Messy, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Portia being badass, The Fed, US Capitol Riot January 6 2021, US Government - Freeform, based on Julius Caesar, cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!, everyone is a modern politician, i’m spelling it portia, the Julius Caesar au no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 06:15:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30051168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoJo7_7/pseuds/JoJo7_7
Summary: In this fanfiction, I have drawn an analogy between the Tragedy of Julius Caesar and the US Capitol Insurrection of 2021. This fanfic by its nature is political and controversial, so if this sort of thing offends you, be warned! I do not mean to trivialize any of the issues portrayed in this story, nor do I want to promote political view over another. The views in this fanfic are not necessarily my own. I have also chosen certain narratives of the Insurrection that best fit the story I wanted to tell, and these narratives do not necessarily reflect the truth of what happened that day or what I believe did.This is not a preplanned series, so I don’t know how often new chapters will come out. I will do my best to be timely and regular. Some of the tags and relationships may change as I further the story.I hope you can learn something from this story (though I don’t know what!). I saw commonalities in the past and the present and wanted to write it into a story. I do not have any political agendas or ulterior motives (or, at least, conscious ones). Now that all of that is out of the way, read the first chapter and I’ll see you on the other side!
Relationships: Julius Caesar/Calpurnia Pisonis, Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger/Gaius Cassius Longinus





	1. Cassius

The various Senators and Representatives waited in anticipation that bordered on malaise. The last year had been an anxious year, a plagued year. But at least now, they had a chance to make things better... There had been several chances before. But for both sides, Democrat and Republican, this was the final opportunity. 

The Speaker of the House and Vice President Antony called the joint session into order. It was time to certify the Electoral College. 

Senator Cassius shared a furtive glance with several Senators across the room. If the this went through, their sabotage would be successful. Because of him and his conspiracy, American democracy would be safe. The nightmare of four years would be over.

He remembered well the various meetings they had, in disguise, either blending with the citizenry or behind masks of money. The sleepless nights of torturous agitation. The secret negotiations within his own state, Arizona. He had pulled every string, called on every connection.

Just to change over a couple hundred thousand votes. So that the ballots marked for President Caesar would meet their end in the Colorado River, and the ones for Pompey were counted, well counted, over counted, again and again.

So had Cinna of Wisconsin, in his serious way doing what he thought was best for his state. And Metellus in Colorado, changing one future into another as the richest alchemy. Trebonius’ Georgia had also gone the way of Pompey, unlike its neighbors. Sharp Decius in Pennsylvania had fooled Caesar’s ballots with the inferno. And Casca of Michigan, in his dry and clever manner, had suggested to his poll workers how Pompey’s votes were to count more; though not in language that most politicians would understand. Tough Portia in Minnesota had used her family connections and widespread political influence to pull away a victory. And finally Ligarius in the north brought his Maine into the conspiracy.

They had all done what they thought was best for the United States. Each one of them was thoroughly convinced that allowing Caesar another term would synonymous with dictatorship. Caesar had pushed presidency far beyond the limits the Founding Fathers ever meant for it to have. Caesar was too ambitious, too power hungry, and it was clear he would not stop until he had stripped every right away to add to his tower of power.

It was already happening to the weak, the defenseless. Being from Arizona, Cassius knew well the toll the Caesar administration had on the immigrants from the South. And Portia understood that the injustice faced by victims of police brutality was just the tip of the disenfranchisement Caesar was magnifying.

But in the end, it all came down to the Speaker of the House. Marcus Brutus. Without his connections, none of this would have been possible. He commanded a huge respect in the political webs. As the first gay Speaker, he already guaranteed to have a page in the history books. And after the results were finalized, Brutus would be the face of the future, the one to guide the party into a new administration.

Cassius had used everything he had to get Brutus on his side. Some might have even said that there was more than politics to this partnership. But Cassius knew that romantic relationships were more like affairs of the state then anything else.


	2. Caesar

President Caesar refused to fear. Fear was all about selective truths. It would only come if he let it feed on thoughts of failure and weakness and impermanence. He had trained himself not to think about those concepts, to avoid fear, to always be the lion in the room. 

Caesar knew what the people were saying. He knew how the election had ran- in Pompey’s favor. But this truth was unreconcilable with his world view. The president could not fear, there must be another factor to the story, another element. That is why the election was stolen.

I am constant as the northern star, he thought. I am the president. I am Caesar. The Lion in the Capitol does not back down.

He addressed the common people, his followers, who had come to hear him speak. He greeted them, the cobblers, the carpenters, the followers who loved him and chanted his name. He spoke to them directly, in prose, without airs, as they did, as if he were one of them. But he was a patrician, and they were plebeians, and he never forgot that.

The President spoke about the media who had taken the election and, “rigged it like they’ve never rigged an election before.” Little did he know about the Senator’s conspiracy.

Caesar appealed to the Vice President to have the election recertfied. “Because if Marc Antony does the right thing, we win the election.”

He praised his allies, like Senators Artemidorus and Lepidus. He cursed the foreign barbarians, those uncivilized people from the south that flooded over the border, like so many hungry wolves.

But always, the most important issue was readdressed. The president always came back to this subject, always spurred this horse and would not let it slow down. “In every single swing state, local officials, state officials, almost all Democrats, made illegal and unconstitutional changes to election procedures without the mandated approvals by the state legislatures.” He declared, lion’s roar pulling the plebeians to his truth, aligning there minds. He cited Senator Decius’ Pennsylvania and Cinna’s Wisconsin and Trebonius’ Georgia and Cassius’ Arizona and Casca’s Michigan. He could have gone on.

But even Caesar did not know of the extent of the Senator’s conspiracy. 

“And we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” he imparted in his elocution. The presidents and his plebeians would do anything to salvage the election. To many of the plebeians, Caesar was the one who had brought peace and prosperity. There was no Republic without him, only fear. 

The people cheered for him, fuel for his ambition. It was always for his ambition. Or was it his pride? Some said he took no flattery. Others said he was a man without ambition.

The motorcade took him back to the White House, and Caesar mulled over his victory. No one can stir up the plebeian-proletariats quite like I can, he reflected with pride.

A video of his speech was posted to his Twitter account, and he went to his office to plan for his next move.

“Mr. President, the First Lady is here. She wants to speak with you.”

“Let her in.”

Calpurnia entered the room, her hands straight at her sides. She had played the role of the perfect wife all these years, and Caesar appreciated that. But still he suspected that she wanted to be somewhere else, a peaceful life unimpeded by the restrictions of his career and reputation.

“Caesar, you don’t know what you are doing.” she said flatly, not bothering with pretext. “You keep telling the people that the election is a fraud. You take on the whole of the government, the whole of the world. Where will you draw the line?”

“You know I cannot lose this election. It’s not an option.” He said, facing his wife’s steely eyes.

“You are creating anarchy.” she said softly. “Is your re-election worth the sanctity of American democracy? Is it worth this- this chaos?”

Calpurnia’s words stirred some doubt in him. No one else but her would dare say such things. The lion hesitated. “I will stop.” he promised.

But then viewed some of the media he railed against so much, and Caesar and his wife both knew what it meant.

There was a flurry of phone calls, advisors begging him with sallow faces. “Do something!” they implored. “Tell them to stop! Call it off!” He saw Calpurnia’s flinty eyes, peering into him. She did not beg, she demanded.

President Caesar did not respond to pleas or begging or flattery. He had made a decision, sent actions in motion. 

So he smiled. His people would do as they would, another army in another war. The myrmidons had their orders, and the eagle watched from above. No one would clip his wings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The First Lady takes after Calpurnia more than any one else. I wanted her to be an important player in this show.

**Author's Note:**

> FYI, Portia and Brutus are not in a romantic relationship in this fanfiction due to Brutus’ sexuality. However, they are good friends and confide in one another regularly. I also wanted to give Portia a chance to play a dominant political role!
> 
> Also, the conspirators are reimagined as plotting election fraud, not Caesar’s death. But in both situations they will do what ever it takes to end his political influence.


End file.
